[3] The species undergoes four larval stages, where the initial younger larvae can be seen as external hemolymph-feeders on the paralysed roach's leg, and the last instar feeds internally.

[6] Upon pupation it produces a chocolate-coloured, thick, spindle-shaped cocoon which can be found inside the dead cockroach within the burrow.

[7] It delivers an initial sting to a thoracic ganglion and injects venom to mildly and reversibly paralyze the front legs of its victim.

A biochemically-induced transient paralysis takes over the cockroach,[8] where the temporary loss of mobility facilitates the second venomous sting at a precise spot in the victim's head ganglia (brain), in the section that controls the escape reflex.

As a result of this sting, the roach will first groom extensively, and then become sluggish and fail to show normal escape responses.

Once the host is incapacitated, the wasp proceeds to chew off half of each of the roach's antennae, after which it carefully feeds from exuding hemolymph.

With its escape reflex disabled, the stung roach simply rests in the burrow as the wasp's egg hatches after about 3 days.

While a number of venomous animals paralyze prey as live food for their young, A. compressa is different in that it initially leaves the roach mobile and modifies its behavior in a unique way.

While a stung roach exhibits drastically reduced survival instincts (such as swimming or avoiding pain) for about 72 hours, motor abilities such as flight or flipping over are unimpaired.

This sting injects significant quantities of γ amino-butyric acid (GABA) and complementary agonists taurine and β alanine.

The concoction temporarily blocks the motor action potentials in the prothoracic ganglion by depressing cholinergic transmission through the increased chloride conductance across nerve synapses.